XtraTime Web Desk: A 56th minute strike from Luis Suarez helped Barcelona win 1-0 against Espanyol in a La Liga fixture on Wednesday night. The win kept Barca in hunt of the championship with 76 points from 35 matches. Leaders Real Madrid is on 77 points, having played a match less.
The match saw heated exchanges from players of both sides with Ansu Fati(50’) and Pol Lozano (53’) being sent off by the referee. Barca’s teenage forward Ansu Fati was sent off for a reckless tackle five minutes after coming off the bench but Espanyol’s numerical advantage lasted only three minutes as Pol Lozano was dismissed, also following a VAR review.
Minutes after this incident Suarez scored the only goal of the match, finding a loose ball due to some poor defending from Espanyol defenders.
The win kept Barca in the title hunt but Real Madrid can regain the four point advantage when they host Alaves on Friday night.The loss confirmed Espanyol’s relegation from La Liga for the first time since winning promotion back to La Liga in 1994.
Results from La Liga fixtures on Wednesday (July 8, 2020)
Getafe 1-3 Villarreal
Real Betis 3-0 Osasuna
Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol